Avatar Page #23

NORM:

(LOW)

Tsu'tey is Olo'eyctan now. He's not

going to let you get near that place.

JAKE:

I've gotta try, Norm.

117.

Jake pulls the clamshell down and we --

CUT TO:

EXT. RUINS OF HOMETREE - DAY

CU JAKE'S AVATAR -- HIS EYES OPEN. He sits up. The forest is

silent, shrouded in smoke that the sun can't penetrate. The

animals have fled. Ash blows on the wind.

JAKE (V.O.)

Outcast. Betrayer. Alien. To ever face

them again, I was gonna have to change

the rules.

DISSOLVE -- JAKE reaches the top of a rise. The forest

beyond is utterly DEVASTATED. The trees burned and fallen.

Small fires still flicker across a landscape in Hell.

JAKE stares. It is his vision, made real. He stumbles

through the dark wasteland, sparks and ash swirling around

him.

A SCREECH. Jake looks up as --

HIS BANSHEE -- bonded for life -- flaps down to a landing in

front of him. He steps to it, and strokes its head. It

nudges his chest like a horse.

JAKE (V.O.)

Sometimes your whole life boils down to

one insane move.

JAKE:

Come on, boy. Time to fly.

OMIITED:

EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY

THE GREAT LEONOPTERYX glides effortlessly along the ridge

where Jake and Neytiri first encountered him.

It scans for prey below, its magnificent indigo-crested head

cocking left, then right.

JAKE (V.O.)

The way I had it figured, Toruk is the

baddest cat in the sky. Nothing attacks

him. So why would he ever look up?

FROM ABOVE -- THE SMALL SHADOW of Jake's banshee falls across

the back of the mighty Toruk.

118.

JAKE (V.O.)

But that was just a theory.

JAKE DIVES and WE RUSH DOWN toward the great beast and our

own shadow then --

CUT TO:

EXT. WELL OF SOULS - LATE AFTERNOON

The Omaticaya people lift their voices in a SONG filled with

tragic loss and yearning for deliverance.

CLOSE ON NEYTIRI, singing. A SHADOW CROSSES HER FACE. She

looks up, and her eyes go wide as --

A TERRIBLE CRY echoes, turning all eyes skyward. AN ENORMOUS

SHADOW covers the crowd as --

TORUK comes out of the sun, beating its huge wings to slow

its descent. Its crimson and black wings, backlit by the

sun, seem to glow from within.

The People CRY OUT in alarm and scatter as the dreaded beast

alights in their midst. And that's when they see --

JAKE, riding high on its shoulders, plugged-in to its

antenna. It folds its wings and stands calmly amid the

paralyzed Na'vi.

Toruk lowers its body. They stare in awe as Jake dismounts

and strokes the magnificent animal's flank.

NEYTIRI, TSU'TEY and MO'AT watch in stunned amazement as the

legendary Rider of Last Shadow walks toward them.

NEYTIRI:

(breathing the words)

Toruk Macto.

Neytiri raises her arms.

NEYTIRI:

(SHOUTING)

Toruk Macto!

ON THE FACES of the Omaticaya -- new hope dawning in their

eyes. WHISPERS flow among them, the words REPEATED --

CROWD:

Toruk Macto... Toruk Macto...

119.

Jake walks through the crowd, straight to Neytiri at the foot

of the dais. He looks into her enormous eyes, and the

emotion between them is powerful and pure.

NEYTIRI:

I See you.

JAKE:

(a hoarse whisper)

I See you.

Neytiri's eyes brim with tears.

NEYTIRI:

I was afraid Jake -- for my people. I'm

not any more.

Jake takes Neytiri's hand and climbs the steps of the dais.

MO'AT steps back in awe as he approaches. He turns to

Tsu'tey, who stares at him with fear and incomprehension.

Jake plays to the rapt crowd as he says --

JAKE:

(SUBTITLED)

Tsu'tey of the Rongloa, son of Ateyo. I

stand before you, ready to serve the

People.

(then just for Tsu'tey)

You are Olo'eyctan, and you are the best

warrior. I can't do this without you.

Tsu'tey struggles with his emotions. Finally --

TSU'TEY

I will fly with you.

JAKE:

Ireiyo.

JAKE turns to the MATRIARCH.

JAKE:

Grace is dying. I beg the help of the

Great Mother.

MO'AT

Bring her, Jakesully.

TIME CUT -- AVATAR JAKE carries Grace's HUMAN BODY, lightly

in his arms like a child. Jake walks through the crowd to

the dais, followed by NORM, who carries GRACE'S AVATAR.

120.

JAKE:

Look where we are, Grace.

Her eyes flutter open. She looks up wonderingly at the Mother

Tree.

GRACE:

(with a wan smile)

I need to take some samples.

Mo'at directs them to lay both bodies among the roots on the

altar-rock.

Mo'at touches Jake's shoulder and he steps back.

MO'AT

(QUIETLY)

The Great Mother may choose to save all

that she is --

Mo'at's hand indicates Grace's AVATAR --

MO'AT

-- in this body.

CU JAKE, realizing the enormity of what she's saying.

JAKE:

Is that possible?

MO'AT

Possible, yes. She must pass through the

Eye of Eywa -- and return. But Jakesully--

she is very weak.

Jake kneels next to Grace, taking her tiny human hand in his

avatar hand.

JAKE:

Hang on, they're gonna fix you up.

Grace is barely conscious. She grips his hand.

GRACE:

I -- always held back. But you gave them

your heart. I'm proud of you, Jake.

Jake feels his throat close with emotion.

Grace's eyes blaze with intensity though her voice is faint.

121.

GRACE:

Help them. You do whatever it takes. You

hear me?

JAKE:

I will.

TIME CUT -- MO'AT stands in a kind of trance amongst the

tendrils of the Mother Tree.

NEYTIRI and the other acolytes dance hypnotically. All the

Omaticaya sway and chant to the rhythm of the drums.

MACRO SHOT -- fine, hairlike THREADS have emerged from the

roots and are gently spreading over Grace's HUMAN skin.

JAKE, still holding her hand, watches her body being fused to

the root-floor by a thousand connections.

GRACE'S AVATAR is gently connected by the same questing ROOT-

CILIA-- they entwine with the QUEUE and spread over the body.

The grotto is dark except for the spectral GLOW of the

willows. The CHANT continues, hypnotically. MO'AT, on her

knees beneath the Mother Tree, writhes her arms in the trance

state. Her eyes are rolled back, showing only WHITE.

GRACE GASPS and her eyes SNAP OPEN. Her expression is AMAZED,

as if seeing something so beautiful it can never be

explained.

ON HER HAND -- GRIPPING Jake's convulsively, as she tries to

anchor herself to this world for a few more seconds --

GRACE:

I'm with her Jake --

(an amazed whisper)

-- she's real --

Grace SHUDDERS, as pain shoots through her. BLOOD seeps

through the silken white root-cilia growing across her

abdomen. Drowning WHITE in shocking CRIMSON.

She exhales a last shuddering breath -- and goes STILL.

JAKE:

Grace!

He sees the roots falling away from her human body.

JAKE TURNS hopefully toward her AVATAR -- but the roots are

falling away from it as well. It sleeps -- VACANT.

122.

MO'AT stops the chant. She crosses to Jake and kneels with

him, touching his shoulder.

MO'AT

Her wounds were too great, there was not

enough time. She is with Eywa now.

NEYTIRI removes Grace's mask and gently closes her eyes.

Jake stands slowly, barely holding it together.

NEYTIRI comes to him and he sees the despair and hope

conflicting on her face --

-- and he raises his head. TURNS to face TSU'TEY and the

CROWD.

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